Walk In
by Quiver
Summary: Darkwing has been having strange dreams...


_**Disclaimer: **I don't own Darkwing Duck, Gosalyn or any Disney character_

_**Authors Note**_****_ OK, an attempt at a Halloween type fic. I'm not into the horror flick stuff, but I do like the twilight zone themes. And I did a rush job on this one, so _expect mistakes.

_**Walk In**_

In my sleep, I toss. It is a restless, fitful sleep. A dream. One that I have had for so long now. _I see fire, smoke is so strong in my nostrils, it chokes me. It burns my eyes. I feel the heat engulf my body as I attempt to navigate my way through the fire. Then I feel the floor crack under my feet, I fall, then everything is dark._

As always, I awake in pure terror. Sitting straight up in my bed. My body is drenched in a cold sweat, I am trembling uncontrollably. My heart races. I can't breathe, my throat feels swollen.

It takes me a moment to realize where I am – who I am!

Finally, able to draw a breath again, I fall back into my pillow. I can feel my heart thumping against my chest.

Closing my eyes, I try to push the dream out of my mind.

Then I hear a soft rap at my door and a muffled voice call out to me from the other side of the closed door. "Dad, you OK?"

Dad?

Yes – yes, dad. I am a dad, a father. I am drake Mallard. I am Darkwing Duck.

At first I can't find my voice. I struggle to clear my throat. "Fine Honey," I rasp weakly.

I can hear the door creak slowly open. "Dad?" my daughter's voice is clearer now.

I open my eyes. Gosalyn is standing next to my bed, still dressed in her PJ's. Her hair, still in disheveled pigtails. A worried look on her soft little face.

I sit up again, slowly and force a smile "I'm fine sweetie. Just had a bad dream."

She studies me quietly for a moment "That same one again?"

"Yes." I reply with a deep sigh. I rub my hand over my face "it's the same one."

Gosalyn climbs up on the bed next to me.

"You know dad, maybe you ought to try and find out about this dream. If you keep having it over and over, maybe it means something."

"like you're old man is losing it?" I ask in an attempt to make light of it.

No such luck.

"Nah, if you don't think dressing up in a mask and cape running around the city fighting crime isn't _losing it_, then don't blame it on the dreams."

"Ha ha," I grouse. "very funny. Now let me get up and I'll fix us some breakfast."

A few minutes later, I am dishing out scrambled eggs and toast to my daughter who gulps them down with gusto.

I sit down to my plate and start eating.

We don't get far through the meal before she starts up the subject of the dream again. "Dad, I really am serious about doing something about the bad dreams. Remember when you first adopted me. I use to have nightmares all the time about Grandpa dieing and Bulba kidnapping me and the whole building blowing up?"

I sigh warily. I remember those dreams too well. I had to stop going out crime fighting nights for two months because of her waking up screaming for her grandpa. But thankfully, she hasn't had any of those dreams in a very long time.

"What, pray tell, am I suppose to do about it, little missie?"

"You could try hypnoses?" she suggest. "There are a lot of psychiatrists that..."

"Hold on there, Gos. There's a little matter of my secret identity?" I remind her.

"Oh, yeah," she says dejectedly then her face lights up "Hay what about Morgana? I bet she knows all abut that stuff!"

"Oh no!" I exclaim waving my hands in front of me "I don't think so!"

"But dad. She doesn't have to cast a spell on you or anything. Hypnoses is probably grade school stuff for her."

I pause to ponder this for a moment. "Well, maybe you're right." I admit "I can ask her.

Now you get off to school little missie. I'll give Morgana a call."

A few hours later, I am at Morgana's place. I have explained the reoccurring dream to her and how vivid it is.

Gosalyn was right, hypnoses is child's play to Morgana.

She has me lay on the sofa and relax. She turns down the lights and closes the doors.

She sits next to me and holds out a clear prism crystal before my eyes. She has me focus on the crystal. Slowly she takes me back into the far recesses of my memories

I go back to the time I was in a fire – that fire.

I can hear Morgana's sweet voice talking to me guiding me.

I am standing in that same burning room.

"_What do you see?"_ I hear Morgana ask.

"**Fire, smoke – I can't breathe, it's so hot!"**

"_Why are you there?"_

Why?

Why?

I'm a fireman that's why. I'm here to save others!

I hear people crying for help, I try to get to them, then it happens. The floor under me collapses and I fall...then...

...darkness...

...then...

...light?

Light?

I never saw the light in my dreams before. I always woke up after falling.

"_Where are you now?" _Morgana asks.

"**In the light."**

"_What do you see in the light?"_

I look around me. At first there is only light, then I see the flames of the inferno again. I am in the room of smoke and fire, only I can't feel it. I can't feel the heat or smell the smoke.

I just walk right through it.

Now I am outside. There are people all around me, screaming rushing. Nobody notices me.

I see somebody I know, a fireman. I try to call out to him, but he doesn't answer.

Then, he passes right _through_ me!

Through me?

Then...then I'm..I'm...

"**I'm dead!"**

"_Don't be afraid. Just go on, nothing can hurt you." _Morgana's voice reaches out from afar and acts as an anchor, giving me the courage to go on.

I walk, just walk.

Soon, the light is again around me. It is so inviting. Such a feel of peace in the light. I think I want to stay here forever. Surrender to it.

But...

A vision flashes before me. My life? I see everything I have ever done, everybody I have ever known – including my wife! My wife?!

Suddenly, I find myself standing in a house. An early American styled home, full of antiques and rustic furnishings.

I see a young woman, beautiful, so beautiful coming to answer the doorbell.

I watch as she opens the front door to see a police officer standing there holding a fireman's helmet – my helmet. He speaks to her, then I hear her scream and she slams the door. Running to the sofa she collapses on it and begins to sob, She's talking, saying something. I can't hear her words, but I knows she's talking to me..asking me why, why I left her.

Oh, I want to answer her so badly!

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, honey, I didn't mean to hurt you!" I scream to her, knowing she can't hear me.

I watch her for a long time, longing to touch her.

After what seems like an eternity, she stops crying and sits up. She looks down at a small bulge in her tummy. She caresses it gently.

A baby. I forgot, we were going to have a baby! Now my wife is alone.

And our child will never know it's father!

It can't end this way! It can't! There has to be something I can do!

I can hear myself screaming "Please, I can't just leave them! I can't. There has to be some way! I Have to be here for them! Isn't there anything I can do?!"

Then I hear a voice next to me.

In a blink of an eye, I am in the light again. But this time, there is somebody else there to. I turn to see a duck dressed in an outlandish costume of purple. He is wearing a mask.

Wait, I know this guy from the newspaper. That Darkwing Duck that goes running around playing super hero.

Wait! Wait. Darkwing Duck? But I'm Darkwing Duck, aren't I.

I'm Darkwing Duck, this can't be! But yet, maybe it can.

"What are you doing here?" I ask.

"I'll show you," he says motioning to me to follow. I start to walk with him through the light.

In a heart beat, we are standing in an alleyway on a dead end street. There is somebody here. He is laying on the cold paved rode. He must be hurt. I walk up to try and help him. Leaning over, I am more than a little shocked to see the purple mask that covers his face. I turn to Darkwing who is standing a few feet away.

"It's you!" I proclaim.

He nods solemnly. "I was trying to stop a mugger and he shot me!" Darkwing says. "I found myself in the light, somebody was talking to me, telling me I had a choice. I could go on to my eternal reward or stay and live to continue to fight crime." He sighs warily.

"I chose to stay here, to protect those who could not protect themselves. I was going to return to my own body – but then I saw you.

You came in just after I did. I was told that you couldn't go back. _You_ had no choice. Then I saw you with your wife and the unborn child you would never know." He lowers his head. "I have always been alone. No family. No friends. But I also saw that as an advantage. I could help others who _do_ have loved ones. I protect them.

Thats' why I brought you here. I want to help you."

"How." I hear myself ask.

He nods at his body laying on the cold ground. "By letting you take my place. You can

stay here in my body. I'll take your place in eternity."

I'm shocked. "Can we do that?" I ask.

He nods "I think so. But I'm not sure what the result will be. I don't know if you will have your memories or mine, or a mixture of both. I just don't know." He falls silent for a long moment before continuing on "All I do know, is that you have more reason to stay than I do. The choice is yours..."

That's all I can remember...

The next thing I am aware of, Morgana is calling to me to wake up, and I do.

A very uneasy hour later, I am sitting out on the front porch of Morgana's place. She is sitting with me.

I am trembling. "This can't be real, can it. It's just a twisted dream!"

"I – I don't know what to tell you Dark. I really don't. I've heard stories of _Walk-in_, but even among my kind, it's hard to believe." She places a comforting hand on my own. "Do you remember ever being shot and left to die in an alley?"

Numbly I nod "Years ago, when I was first starting out as a crime fighter."

I try to think, but my mind is racing. "I can check the city records, find out of a fireman died the same day I was shot."

"Do you want me to go with you?" she offers.

"No, No. But could you please pick up Gosalyn after school. LaunchPad is in Duckburg for a few days."

"Of course Dark."

The day goes by in a blur. I am walking around in a daze. I found that a fireman had died that same day and he had a wife that was expecting...

Somehow, I find myself in the cemetery, looking for the grave. His grave – _my_ grave.

I can't think to recall the name of the fireman, I'm in shock I guess.

I don't even know how I find his grave, but I do. Next to his headstone is another. His wifes. My wife's grave.

My heart races, my mind spins in confusion. Is this even real! Or am I still dreaming.

Oh wake up, please wake up.

Did my rightful body really die while my spirit lived on in somebody else's?

I look at the dates on the headstones. She died only a couple of years after he – _I – _did!

This is insane!

If this is all true, them the real Darkwing Duck made the sacrifice for nothing! I came back for my family. I didn't only forget them in my new life, but the wife I came back for is gone!

I feel sick. I don't want to accept any of this.

"Dad?" I startle at the sound of a voice from behind me. I turn to see Gosalyn standing there, looking at me with such worry in her eyes.

Gosalyn. My Gosalyn. I turn to look again at the headstone. If it is all true, does it matter?

If I am not the true Darkwing Duck/ Drake Mallard. I am still the Darkwing Duck the world knows. And I am still Gosalyn's father. Thats' all that matters.

"Dad, are you alright?" Gosalyn asks.

I find my voice "Yes, Gos, I'm fine." I stand and walk over to her. "What are you doing here?"

"Morgana told me you were here. I was getting worried." she explains.

I force a smile "Nothing to worry about sweetie. What do you say, we pick Morgana up and all go out for dinner?"

"Great!" she cheers and hugs me.

I smile and take her hand. We start walking out of the grave yard.

As we walk Gos glances back at the grave I was visiting – my own grave.

She looks up at me with troubled eyes. "Dad, can I ask you something?"

I hear the concern in her voice.

"Yes honey, what is it?" I ask.

She stops abruptly and looks me in the eyes.

"What were you doing at my biological father's grave?"

**The End**


End file.
